Cooking device with a warming compartment

ABSTRACT

A cooking device includes a base plate, a cooking plate mounted on and cooperating with the base plate to define a receiving space therebetween and formed with at least a drain hole in fluid communication with the receiving space, and a partition unit mounted on the base plate within the receiving space and dividing the receiving space into a warming compartment that is adapted to receive food therein so as to warm the food during cooking, and an oil compartment that is isolated from the warming compartment and that is adapted to receive oil, which is formed on the cooking plate as a result of cooking and which is drained through the drain hole in the cooking plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cooking device, more particularly to acooking device with a warming compartment that is adapted to receivefood which is to be kept warm therein.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional cooking devices, such as portable grill-type cookingdevices, normally include a base plate and a cooking plate mounted onthe base plate. The conventional cooking devices are disadvantageous inthat heat cannot be retained in the food after they are cooked and areremoved from the cooking plate, which results in an adverse effect onthe taste of the cooked food.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cookingdevice with a warming compartment that is capable of overcoming theaforesaid drawback of the prior art.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cooking devicethat includes: a base plate; a cooking plate mounted on and cooperatingwith the base plate to define a receiving space therebetween and formedwith at least a drain hole in fluid communication with the receivingspace; and a partition unit mounted on the base plate within thereceiving space and dividing the receiving space into a warmingcompartment that is adapted to receive food therein so as to warm thefood during cooking, and an oil compartment that is isolated from thewarming compartment and that is adapted to receive oil, which is formedon the cooking plate as a result of cooking and which is drained throughthe drain hole in the cooking plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodimentof a cooking device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines III—III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines IV–VI in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate how a food tray isremoved from a warming compartment in the cooking device of the firstembodiment;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the second preferredembodiment of the cooking device according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view to illustrate how a food tray is mounted on abase plate of the cooking device of the second embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view to illustrate how an oil-receiving tray ismounted on the base plate of the cooking device of the secondembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the sake of brevity, like elements are denoted by the same referencenumerals throughout the disclosure.

FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the first preferred embodiment of a cookingdevice according to the present invention. The cooking device includes:a base plate 1; a cooking plate 2 mounted on and cooperating with thebase plate 1 to define a receiving space 20 (see FIG. 3) therebetweenand formed with at least a drain hole 213 in fluid communication withthe receiving space 20; and a partition unit 100 (see FIG. 3) mounted onthe base plate 1 within the receiving space 20 and dividing a portion ofthe receiving space 20 into a warming compartment 313 that is adapted toreceive food therein so as to warm the food during cooking, and an oilcompartment 411 that is isolated from the warming compartment 313 andthat is adapted to receive oil, which is formed on the cooking plate 2as a result of cooking and which is drained through the drain hole 213in the cooking plate 2.

In this embodiment, the partition unit 100 is drawable from thereceiving space 20, and includes at least a food tray 3 and anoil-receiving tray 4, each of which has a base wall 311 (410) and aperipheral wall 312 (412) extending transversely from the base wall 311(410) to confine a respective one of the warming compartment 313 and theoil compartment 411.

The base plate 1 is formed with at least a first retaining recess 123that receives fittingly the base wall 311 of the food tray 3, and asecond retaining recess 124. The base wall 410 of the oil-receiving tray4 has a central portion 4101 that protrudes outwardly and transverselytherefrom and that is received fittingly in the second retaining recess124 in the base plate 1.

Each of the food tray 3 and the oil-receiving tray 4 is formed with ahandle 32 (42) that extends outwardly of the receiving space 20therefrom.

The cooking plate 2 defines a cooking surface 211. The base plate 1 andthe cooking plate 2 are supported by a stand 5 that includes a pluralityof posts 11, each of which is connected to and extends from the baseplate 1 in a transverse direction relative to the cooking surface 211,and each of which has a top end face formed with a retaining groove 113.The cooking plate 2 has two opposite ends 210 and two opposite lugs 23extending oppositely and respectively from the ends 210. Each of thelugs 23 is formed with a plurality of retaining protrusions 232 thatprotrude therefrom in the transverse direction and that extend into andthat engage the retaining grooves 113 in the respective ones of theposts 11 so as to be supported by the stand 5.

The base plate 1 has two opposite end walls 125 that extend in atransverse direction relative to the cooking surface 211. The stand 5further includes two opposite U-shaped connecting bars 112, each ofwhich interconnects an adjacent pair of the posts 11 and each of whichdefines an elongated retaining trough 117. The end walls 125 of the baseplate 1 extend into and engage respectively the retaining troughs 117 inthe connecting bars 112 so as to be supported by the stand 5.

The receiving space 20 defines a space height (H_(S)) (see FIG. 5)extending from a top end face of the base plate 1 to a bottom end faceof the cooking plate 2. The peripheral wall 312 (412) of each of thefood tray 3 and the oil-receiving tray 4 has a top end. The base wall311 (410) of each of the food tray 3 and the oil-receiving tray 4 has abottom end. Each of the food tray 3 and the oil-receiving tray 4 definesa tray height (H_(T)) extending from the bottom end of the base wall 311(410) to the top end of the peripheral wall 312 (412). The space height(H_(S)) is larger than the tray height (H_(T)) so as to permit removalof the food tray 3 and the oil-receiving tray 4 from the base plate 1(see FIG. 5).

The handle 32 of the food tray 3 is formed with a stopper 321 thatextends in the transverse direction, that is disposed outwardly of thereceiving space 20, and that has a height (H_(R)) (see FIGS. 4 and 5)that is larger than the space height (H_(S)) of the receiving space 20so as to prevent the handle 32 from extending fully and undesirably intothe receiving space 20.

The cooking plate 2 has a heating member 22 embedded therein. Anelectrical connector 24 is mounted on one of the lugs 23, and iselectrically connected to the heating member 22. The cooking surface 211of the cooking plate 2 is formed with a plurality of ribs 214 thatproject from the cooking surface 211 in the transverse direction.

FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate the second preferred embodiment of the cookingdevice according to the present invention. The cooking device of thisembodiment is similar to the previous embodiment, except that the baseplate 1 has two opposite sides, each of which is formed with a shoulder127, that the base wall 311 of the food tray 3 having two oppositesides, each of which is formed with a step 315 that is seated on theshoulder 127 of a respective one of the sides of the base plate 1, andthat the base plate 1 is formed with a stage 128 which extends betweenthe sides of the base plate 1, which projects therefrom into thereceiving space 20 in the transverse direction and which cooperates withthe base plate 1 to define a mounting recess 121 therebetween forreceiving fittingly the base wall 311 of the food tray 3. The base wall410 of the oil-receiving tray 4 has a bottom end which is formed with atray retaining recess 4102 for receiving fittingly a top end of thestage 128 of the base plate 1.

With the inclusion of the partition unit in the cooking device of thepresent invention, the aforesaid drawback of the prior art can beeliminated.

With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that variousmodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit of the present invention.

1. A cooking device, comprising: a base plate; a cooking plate mountedon and cooperating with said base plate to define a receiving spacetherebetween and formed with at least a drain hole in fluidcommunication with said receiving space; and a partition unit mounted onsaid base plate within said receiving space and dividing said receivingspace into a warming compartment that is adapted to receive food thereinso as to warm the food during cooking, and an oil compartment that isisolated from said warming compartment and that is adapted to receiveoil, which is formed on said cooking plate as a result of cooking andwhich is drained through said drain hole in said cooking plate; whereinsaid partition unit is drawable from said receiving space and includes afood tray and an oil-receiving tray, each of which has a base wall and aperipheral wall extending transversely from said base wall to confine arespective one of said warming compartment and said oil compartment; andwherein said food tray is formed with a handle that extends outwardly ofsaid receiving space therefrom.
 2. The cooking device of claim 1,wherein said base plate is formed with a retaining recess that receivesfittingly said base wall of said food tray.
 3. The cooking device ofclaim 1, wherein said base wall of said oil-receiving tray has a centralportion that protrudes outwardly and transversely therefrom, said baseplate being formed with a retaining recess that receives fittingly saidcentral portion of said base wall of said oil-receiving tray.
 4. Thecooking device of claim 3, wherein said oil-receiving tray is formedwith a handle that extends outwardly of said receiving space therefrom.5. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein said cooking plate has aheating member embedded therein.
 6. The cooking device of claim 1,wherein said cooking plate defines a cooking surface and is formed witha plurality of ribs that project from said cooking surface in saidtransverse direction.
 7. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein saidbase plate has two opposite sides, each of which is formed with ashoulder, said base wall of said food tray having two opposite sides,each of which is formed with a step that is seated on said shoulder of arespective one of said sides of said base plate.
 8. The cooking deviceof claim 1, wherein said cooking plate defines a cooking surface, saidbase plate being formed with a stage that projects therefrom into saidreceiving space in a transverse direction relative to said cookingsurface and that cooperates with said base plate to define a mountingrecess therebetween for receiving said base wall of said food tray, saidbase wall of said oil-receiving tray having a bottom end that is formedwith a tray retaining recess, said stage having a top end that isreceived fittingly in said tray retaining recess in said bottom end ofsaid base wall of said oil-receiving tray.
 9. A cooking device,comprising: a base plate; a cooking plate mounted on and cooperatingwith said base plate to define a receiving space therebetween and formedwith at least a drain hole in fluid communication with said receivingspace; and a partition unit mounted on said base plate within saidreceiving space and dividing said receiving space into a warmingcompartment that is adapted to receive food therein so as to warm thefood during cooking, and an oil compartment that is isolated from saidwarming compartment and that is adapted to receive oil, which is formedon said cooking plate as a result of cooking and which is drainedthrough said drain hole in said cooking plate; wherein said cookingplate defines a cooking surface, said cooking device further comprisinga stand including a plurality of posts, each of which is connected toand extends from said base plate in a transverse direction relative tosaid cooking surface, and each of which has a top end face formed with aretaining groove, said cooking plate having two opposite ends and twoopposite lugs extending oppositely and respectively from said ends, eachof said lugs being formed with a plurality of retaining protrusions thatprotrude therefrom in said transverse direction and that extend into andthat engage said retaining grooves in the respective ones of said posts.10. A cooking device, comprising: a base plate; a cooking plate mountedon and cooperating with said base plate to define a receiving spacetherebetween and formed with at least a drain hole in fluidcommunication with said receiving space; and a partition unit mounted onsaid base plate within said receiving space and dividing said receivingspace into a warming compartment that is adapted to receive food thereinso as to warm the food during cooking, and an oil compartment that isisolated from said warming compartment and that is adapted to receiveoil, which is formed on said cooking plate as a result of cooking andwhich is drained through said drain hole in said cooking plate; whereinsaid cooking plate defines a cooking surface, said base plate having twoopposite end walls that extend in a transverse direction relative tosaid cooking surface, said cooking device further comprising a standincluding a plurality of posts that are connected to said base plate andthat extend in said transverse direction, and two opposite U-shapedconnecting bars, each of which interconnects an adjacent pair of saidposts and each of which defines an elongated retaining trough, said endwalls of said base plate extending into and engaging respectively saidtroughs in said connecting bars.
 11. A cooking device, comprising: abase plate; a cooking plate mounted on and cooperating with said baseplate to define a receiving space therebetween and formed with at leasta drain hole in fluid communication with said receiving space; and apartition unit mounted on said base plate within said receiving spaceand dividing said receiving space into a warming compartment that isadapted to receive food therein so as to warm the food during cooking,and an oil compartment that is isolated from said warming compartmentand that is adapted to receive oil, which is formed on said cookingplate as a result of cooking and which is drained through said drainhole in said cooking plate; wherein said receiving space defines a spaceheight extending from said base plate to said cooking plate, saidperipheral wall of each of said food tray and said oil-receiving trayhaving a top end, said base wall of each of said food tray andoil-receiving tray having a bottom end, each of said food tray and saidoil-receiving tray defining a tray height extending from said bottom endof said base wall to said top end of said peripheral wall, said spaceheight being larger than said tray height so as to permit removal ofsaid food tray and said oil-receiving tray from said base plate; andwherein said base plate is formed with a retaining recess that receivesfittingly said base wall of said food tray, said food tray being formedwith a handle that extends outwardly of said receiving space, saidhandle being formed with a stopper that extends in said transversedirection, that is disposed outwardly of said receiving space, and thathas a height larger than said space height of said receiving space so asto prevent said handle from extending fully and undesirably into saidreceiving space.